


No Key For The Lock

by SupernaturalStallions69



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Bounty Hunter!Emma, Breaking Out, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-07-25
Updated: 2014-07-25
Packaged: 2018-02-10 08:55:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,408
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2018907
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SupernaturalStallions69/pseuds/SupernaturalStallions69
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Emma Swan is a bounty hunter that works with Ruby, Snow, and Charming.While on a mission, Emma gets caught and thrown into a brig where a hopeless pirate waits for death. (The story starts when she is sitting in her cell.)</p>
            </blockquote>





	No Key For The Lock

She groans, lifting her head slowly as it starts making the room look like it's moving. While holding her head she shifts backwards so she is sitting up against a cold wall. Her vision starts becoming clear. She looks around to see the area isn't very bright. The only sources of light are torches and the moon shining, spilling through an open window from above her. When her vision finally clears and adjusts she notices there are bars going in a vertical line. She continues to search her surrounds when she lightly gasps at a skeleton that looks like it's reaching out to her. It's dark, empty eye sockets stare blankly at her.

“Look who's finally awake.” she hears a man nearby in a cell next to her. “I suspect you slept well?”

Emma hesitates to answer as she hears chains rattling from him. He must be tied up. She looks down and finds out she is too. By her feet. “No. How the hell would one be able to sleep well in a rats nest like this?” She lowers her hand after feeling a wet and sticky liquid oozing from her scalp. She can smell the copper without bringing it close to her nose.

“Excuse me for trying to make friendly conversation.” he moves closer so she can see his face in the light. “So, what are you in for, darling?” he winks, regretting it when he brings his hand up and touches his eyebrow. Blood as suspected, it seems to also be forming a nasty bruise. Almost covering his entire right eye. She inspects his face more now and notices more than just his eye. There's blood coming from his nose, a cut on his bottom lip and across the bridge of his nose, slight swelling on the left his forehead with dried blood running over it.

_He's a mess. _She thinks to herself. “What are you in for?” she retorts, rubbing off the blood from her fingers on her riding pants.__

__“I asked you first.” a moment of silence fills the room, except for slight skittering on the cobblestone. Coming from the rats most likely. He gives up, sighing, “I'm in for thievery, murder, piracy, gambling, the list goes on.”_ _

__“Should have suspected much. You look like a pirate.”_ _

__“And you look like a bandit.” he scoots closer to the bars that separate the two so he's leaning on them, grunting in the process. “Now what's your story?”_ _

__Emma sighs “If you must know I'm a bounty hunter. I chase and kill criminal scum. Scum that are much like you.” she lowers into a whisper with a snarl at the end._ _

__“I do rather prefer dashing.” she rolls her eyes. “Scum is not very... me.”_ _

__“Yeah, okay. Whatever, pirate.”_ _

__His voice drops a pitch, “The name's Killian Jones. Though I'm sure you know me by-”_ _

__“Hook. Yeah I know I've seen the wanted posters. I'm not blind.”_ _

__Time passes on as Emma wanders her cage, digging around for a key that a prisoner must have hidden under the dirt. The whole time Killian watches her every move and chuckles._ _

__“I don't think you'll ever find anything interesting or helpful, love. Just accept that we are going to die eventually.”_ _

__She stops her search and glares at him about to remark on what he found funny, only to soften a little when she realizes how his magnificent blue eyes remind her of a puppy that has been kicked far too many times. His search her own green ones that remind him of how a forest looks, smells, sounds, and feels. He turns away. Looking in the opposite direction of her as he examines his missing hand by touch. They removed his hook and the contraption along with it. He can't do anything._ _

__“Tell me.” he starts “Is there anyone coming for you?” his voice sounds lifeless. Like he'd much rather be dead right now. Like there is nothing left for him. Like he's already lost everything dear to him._ _

__“Why do you care?” she snaps, not intentionally._ _

__“Humor me. Make me believe that there is still hope for you.”_ _

__Emma is stunned at his words. “Yes. I have three people coming for me.”_ _

__“That's good. At least you still have people who care for you. My men probably already left me here for dead. I don't blame them though.”_ _

__Emma shakes off the feeling. Unbelieving that this guy is making her feel something that she hasn't for years. She doesn't want to care. She wants him to suffer and die for all that he has done to people in the past. Why should she care? It's not like he deserves to live. He should have been hung as soon as he was caught._ _

__“You're suddenly quiet.”_ _

__“And you like to talk. I'm not going to sit here and bond with you. I'm going to find my way out, the sooner the better.” she continues scrambling around for something at this point, anything._ _

__“I like that. You refuse to give up even when your near death. That's quite admirable.”_ _

__“What about you?”_ _

__“What about me, lass?”_ _

__“You sit there saying there is only hope for me and none for you. Isn't there someone out there waiting for you?” It's too late. The words are out. But damn it she's fed up with him._ _

__“Well how about I just pull out the many people I cared for then, shall I?” he takes a moment. For that moment Emma doesn't think he's going to respond. Until he does. “My father abandoned me for refuge when I was just a young lad, my brother died by a damned poison because the King lied to us about it's magical properties of being helpful to us. My Milah is dead. I've been going after a man known as The Dark One to get my revenge. Now, after spending most of my pathetic life in a realm called Neverland being hunted down by The Lost Boys and Peter Pan playing mind games with me. I've realized that I have done nothing but waste my years away planning on how to skin the Crocodile.”_ _

__Emma couldn't utter a word. She couldn't find anything to say. So she sat silently, taking in all the information given to her as if he's going to die in a few minutes._ _

___Skin the Crocodile. _Those would be his last words to her. Or to anyone for that matter.__ _ _

____They both let time pass by to where Emma falls asleep with her head in her arms that are wrapped around her legs. She wakes up and remembers what has happened the past few hours. She looks up and sees that it's still night. Time is passing by at a slow pace._ _ _ _

____With a light jolt to wake her up she remembers the pirate in the other cell. He's still there but his head is down, she can only hope he's sleeping._ _ _ _

____Gunshots are fired with barking and men screaming out in agony. This pulls her attention and peers through the many empty cells. Light is illuminating from an open doorway and the sound of feet padding their way down is heard. She smiles. Finally, they've come to spring her from this disgusting place!_ _ _ _

____“Emma!” a call comes from the doorway and she sees a woman in a red cloak, keys jingling in her hand. “Emma, thank Gods! You're alive!” She exclaims in happiness and starts to undo the cell lock, trying every key until the satisfying sound comes to their ears._ _ _ _

____“I'm so glad to see you again, Ruby!” Emma jumps into Ruby's arms, giving her a hug of longing._ _ _ _

____“Come on, we have to get out of here fast before more guards come!” she pulls on her arm only to be pulled back. Emma didn't move an inch. “Emma what are you doing? We have to go now!” she whimpers._ _ _ _

____“No. Give me the keys, quick.” she snatches the keys and uses every one of them until the door to Killian's cell opens. She throws them away and rushes to his side, picking up his body. “He's still alive. Come on, we can go now.” she carries the pirate with all her strength bridal style, careful to not hit his head on anything._ _ _ _

____Ruby is about to protest about taking strangers but, of course, when Emma is stubborn she stays that way until she gets it her way._ _ _ _

**Author's Note:**

> Was working on a fiction (and still am) but because I had writers block I decided to do this to see if it would help me any. I guess it did. I don't know to be honest. Apologies for any mistakes, repeats, missing words/letters, etc. I am very tired.
> 
> Also to those wondering, yes, I did end it like that on purpose. You can be the guessers as to whether he lives or not and if everyone makes it out. (Good luck on that cliffhanger.)


End file.
